Wire or rod connector and clamp



` oct. 23, 1945. l. FRANK 2,387,436

WIRE OR ROD CONNECTOR AND CLAMP Filed June l2, 1943 INVENTOR a r//s e/l//f- Y f I fffx ofFlg. 1.

Patented Oct. 23, 1945 UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEElcE mll'ffcm Appllontion June l2, 1943, Serial No. 490,597 Claims. (Cl. 287-83) My invention relates to a device for the rapid and edective connecting oi' wires, rods, cables, tubes and the like, and the particular constructionherein illustrated, described and claimed is an improvement on the connector covered by United States Letters Patent 2,187,230 issued to me January 16, 1940, also Letters Patent 2,314,- 579 issued to me March 23 1943.

The principal objects of my present invention are to generally improve upon and simplify the formof connectors described in my aforesaid patents as well as other existing forms of quick acting rod and wire connecting devices, and further, to provide a simple,\practicai and inexpensive connector which is constructed so as to' effectively perform its clamping and connecting functions without the requirement of screws. bolts, binding posts and the like. a

A furtherobiect of my invention is to provide a wire or rod connector of strong substantial structure capable of being readily assembled or taken apart so as to facilitate inspection and replacement or interchange of parts, and likewise capable of being easily and quickly applied to or removed from the adjacent ends of wires, rods,

cables and the like.

With' the foregoing and other objects in view, my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts which will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed,` and `illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which: A

F18. l is a side elevational view of a connector constructed in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 21s a cross section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. l. l

Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section taken on theline If-l of Fig. 2.

F18. 4 is a cross section taken on the line l-l Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken lengthwise through the center of a connector for engaging a single rod, wire, cable or the like.

F156 is a horizontal section taken on the line l-l of Fig. 5.

Fig. 'I is an enlarged detail section taken on the l `line 1-1 of Flg.`5.

Pig. 8 is a detail section taken on the line 2-8 of l'ig. '1.

Fig. 9 is an enlarged detail section showing a illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, III designates one of the side walls of the housing which is preferably formed of sheet metal with its lower por- -tion bent at right angles to form a bottom wall II and extending at right angles from the upper edge of th'e side wall is a top wall I2. The end portions of top wall I2 are extended downwardly part-way toward the ends of the bottom wall Il, as designated by I3, thus forming a chamber Il in the upper portion of the housing and with openings Il between the lower ends of the end walls I3, and the ends of the bottom wall II for the accommodation of th'e wires, rods or cables that are connected by the device. Formed on the upper face of the bottom I I is a plurality of longitudinally disposed ribs I6 which are of inverted V-shape in cross section.

suitably secured in the central portion of chamber Il by means of a screw I1 or otherwise is a, block I8, and depending from the center of said block is a. lug I9, the lower end of which rests on the central portions of the ribs: IB.

Detachably secured to the housing comprising the walls I0, II and I2, preferably by screw or fastening device II, is a front wall or cover plate 20 which closes the chamber Il within the housing. Arranged within the end portions of chamber Il between block I8 and end walls I3 are gripping and clamping members 2| preferably metal blocks having curved under faces 22, which are ribbed or corrugated transversely so as to form rod gripping faces, and these blocks are pivoted on pins or screws 23, th'e ends of which are seated in the walls I0 and 20.

The clamping blocks 2I are oppositely disposed with respect to each other, that is, the free ends thereof project toward the block I8 `with the pivot pins 23 in the upper outer corners of chamber Il.

Formed in cover plate 20 below and concentric with' the axis pins or screws 23 are short arcuate slots 24 and passing therethrough are pins or screws 25, the inner portion of which are seated in the blocks 2 I.

The outer ends of these pins or screws are provided with small heads 28 which' Vare positioned lust below the outer face of front wall 20 and to aiford partial protection for said heads and preventing the saine from being struck by extraneous objects, ribs 2l are formed on the outer face of plate 20 around the arcuate slots therein.

A retractile coil spring 28 is positioned in the upper portion of chamber I4 above block I8 and the ends of this spring are connected to the ends of the clamping blocks 2l above the pivot pins 23 3| downwardly into engagement with the wires,

- rods, cables or the like which are inserted through openings Il into the connector.

Thus. the clamping blocks act as eccentrica to automatically. engage and clamp inserted rods and the like and thus the device provides a substantial connectionfor the adjacent ends of vari. ous structural elements, such as cables, rods,

wires, chains and the like. To release the clamp from the engaged members, it isonly necessary to manipulate the pins 2l by engaging the heads ademas and said spring acts to swing the clamping blocks ll'thereof and moving the same through the arl cuate slots 24, thus disengaging the clamping blocks from-the inserted members.

In the modified construction illustrated in Figs. 5-9 inclusive, a housing 30,. preferably `of parts of my improved connector may be made In this form of`clamp it is necessaryto push pin 43 inward to release detent lug 43 from the ratchet teeth 45 when a rod or the like is being inserted into-or withdrawn from the housing.

Thus, it will be seen that I have provided a device for engaging and clamping the ends of wires, rods, cables, chains -and the like, and which clamping andl connecting device is relatively simple in. construction, inexpensive of manufacture,

and very eiective in performingthe functions forwhich it is intended.

It will be understood that minor changes in the size, form and construction 'of the various and substituted for those herein shown and described without departing from the spirit of my sheet metal, is provided at one end with an opena* other member to be clamped, and at the opposite ing 3l for the reception for the end of the rod or end offthe housing, the side walls are brought together to form an ear 32 through which is formed an aperture 33. This aperture is adapted to receivel a ring, hook, link or the like which aiiords means vfor detachably connecting or anchoring 'the connector to a ilxed member.

Pivotally mounted o n a pin 34 in the upper por-l tion of the chamber within the housing above the end opening 3| is a clamping block' 3l praccess `31 in the lower portion of which is located an expansive spring 38, and bearing thereon is the inner end of a pin 39 similar to the pin 2B `and which passes through an arcuate slot-43 in .the front'wall of the housing. Slot 40 is surrounded` by a rib 4l formed on the outer face of the front wall of the housing, and the outer end of pin 39 carries a head 42 which is positioned within the wall 4I Formed on the inner end portion of pin 3l is a lug 43 which occupies a recess 44 formed in block 35 to the side of the recess 31 and the outer end of said lug 43 is bevelled for engagement with ratchet teeth 45 which are formed on the inner Viace of the cover plate immediately adjacent the outer edge of the arcuate slot (see Figs. 8 and 9). I'hese ratchet teeth and lug 43 provide a self acting safety latch to hold the block 35 away from the rod while same is being inserted in the connector and to release the block so that it may 4 move into gripping engagementwith the inserted rod, it being only necessary to press pin 33 inward 'against the resistance oilered by spring 38, thus safety latch is also eilective in holding the block invention, the scope ofwhich is the appended claims.

I claim as my invention: f

1. A. connector and clamp for rods, wires,

cables and the like comprising a housing provided at one end with an opening, an eccentric set forth in block pivoted within the housing above said' opening, a retractile spring connected to said block above its pivot point and tending to move 'the free end portion of said block downwardly towardsaid opening,`one of the side walls of the housing having an arcuate slot, concentric'with theaxis of said eccentric block and a pin seated disengaging lug 43 from -the ratchet teeth. This in said block and extending outwardly through said arcuate slot.

2. A connector-V asl set forth in claim 1 and with means to releasably hold the block in a. fixed position with respect to the pivot and the housing when moved against the resistance of the spring.

3. A connector and clamp forrods, wires, cables and the like. comprising a housing provided at one end with an opening, an eccentric block pivoted within the housing above said opening, a retractile spring connected to said block above its pivot point and tending to move the free end portion of said block downwardly toward said opening, and manually operable means for.

swinging said block on its axis against 'the resistance offered by said spring and for releasably engaged with said block at the end of such movement..

4. A connector and clamp for rods, wires, cables and the like comprising a housing having openings in its ends for the reception of the rods, wires or cables, clamping blocks pivotally mounted -in the end portions of said housing, a retractile spring connecting said clamping blocks beyond their pivot pointsvand'means comprising pins seated in said blocks oiset from their pivots and passing through slots in one vof the side walls of said housing for swinging said blocks on their axes against the resistance of said springs.

5. A clamping and connecting device as set forth in claim 4, and with a partition within said housing between said blocks. 

